THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



15 



Some of the Egyptian greyhounds bore 

 a striking resemblance to modern Eng- 

 hsh greyhounds. Others had fringed 

 tails and had doubtless been introduced 

 from Persia, where this breed, unchanged 

 in form, is used today (see page 22). 

 Another hound kept by the Egyjnians 

 was not unlike our great Dane, and there 

 was a short-legged toy dog which carried 

 its tail curled over its back. It is in- 

 teresting to note that one kind of hunt- 

 ing dog kept by the ancient Egyptians 

 was called "unsu," or "unsau,'' meaning 

 "wolves." perhaps indicating a knowl- 

 edge of its descent from the wiUl form. 



WORSHIPED BY THE EGVI'TI.^XS 



But to the Egyptians dogs were much 

 more than either assistants in the chase 

 or household pets. They were objects of 

 veneration and worship. They appear in 

 the friezes of the temples and were re- 

 garded as divine emblems. 



Herodotus tells us that when a dog be- 

 longing to an Egyptian family died, the 

 members of the household shaved them- 

 selves as an expression of their grief, and 

 adds that this was the custom in his own 

 day. 



An interesting explanation of this ven- 

 eration associated it with the annual over- 

 flowing of the Nile. The coming of the 

 great event, on which depended the pros- 

 perity of Lower Egj'pt, was heralded by 

 the star Syrius. which ajipeared above 

 the horizon at this time. And as soon 

 as this star was seen the inhabitants be- 

 gan to remove their flocks to the liigher 

 pastures, leaving the lower ones to be 

 fertilized by the rising waters. The warn- 

 ing was so timely and unfailing that the 

 people called Syrius the "dog star," be- 

 cause it seemed to show the friendly 

 watchfulness and fidelity of a dog. 



A feeling of gratitude for this service 

 was no doubt gradually replaced by the 

 stronger feeling of veneration and wor- 

 ship. The dog came to be regarded as 

 a god — the genius of the river — and was 

 represented with the body of a man and 

 the head of a dog. As Anubis, it became 

 a great figure in Egyptian mythology, 

 and its image was placed on the gates of 

 the temples. 



At a later period Cynopolis, the city 

 of the dog, was built in honor of Anubis, 

 to whom priests celebrated great festivals 

 and sacrificed earthly dogs — black ones 

 and white ones alternately. These dogs, 

 and others of a reddish color, were em- 

 balmed, and many dog mummies have 

 been found. 



EG\'PTI.\N DOG WORSHIP SPREAD TO OTHER 

 L.^NDS 



Dog worship spread from Egvpt to 

 many other countries, where it took dif- 

 ferent forms. The Romans sacrificed 

 dogs to Anubis. to the lesser dog star, 

 Procyon, and to Pan, and the Greeks 

 made similar ofiferings to propitiate Pros- 

 erpine. Mars. Hecate, and other imagi- 

 nary beings of whom they stood in fear. 



Plutarch says: "The circle which 

 touches and separates the two hemis- 

 pheres, and which on account of this di- 

 vision has received the name of horizon, 

 is called Anubis. It is represented under 

 the form of a dog because this animal 

 watches during the day and during the 

 night." 



Out of this idea it seems there arose 

 two mythical personages — Mercury, or 

 Hermes, and Cerberus, the three-headed 

 dos: supposed to guard the gates of hell. 



But there were humbugs even in those 

 davs, and they humbugged the dog wor- 

 shipers even as charlatans often hum- 

 bug Christians today. Perhaps the limit 

 of deception was practiced on a certain 

 nation in Ethiopia, which is said to have 

 been bamboozled into actually setting up 

 a dog for its king. Clad in royal robes 

 and with a crown upon his head, he sat 

 upon his throne and received the homage 

 of his subjects. He signified his approval 

 by wagging his tail and his disapproval 

 by barking. He conferred honors upon 

 a person by licking his hand, and a growl 

 might condemn a man to captivity or 

 death. 



Even so, since he was a dog, his sub- 

 jects! might have expected justice and 

 possibly mercy had it not been for the 

 "advisers" by whom he was surrounded. 

 These gentlemen, of course, had their 

 own interests to serve, and no doubt 

 served them by skilfully juggling the in- 

 terpretations of the "king's" commands.. 



